Something New
by Woodsworth
Summary: A simple boy, an unique bandit, and a consumed officer begin the adventure of a lifetime. How will each handle the pressures of the Mamodo Battle? This story will not include any mamodo from the series.
1. Simply Unpleasant

OOC: Alright, this is my first attempt at a story so some feedback would be wonderful. Read, enjoy, and expect more soon.

I don't own Zatch Bell or anything to do with it... except this story.

**Prologue**

Potterston. It is about as exciting as the name sounds. Nothing ever happens in Potterston. At least, nothing interesting ever happens. It is a small town found on the outskirts of the much larger town of Tangon City. There is not much to Potterston: a few convenience stores, a medical center, a market, a floweriest, and a post office/ town hall. It is one of those towns where everyone seems to know each other. There is not much change in Potterston. People like to stay in their routines so they do not have to think about much. To a visitor unlucky or foolish enough to stay in the town, it would seem that everyday is just as dull as the day before. To say the least, Potterston is completely boring. That is why this story does not start there. It starts outside of the town on a road heading towards Tangon City, where a boy is about to begin the adventure of a lifetime.

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Samuel Anders slowly walked down the path towards Tangon City. The morning was still early, and the sun had just decided to wake up and shake off the fog in its eyes. Birds, feeling the sun's warm rays, were starting to chirp and flutter from tree to tree. To the right of the road, a stream flowed along, lapping at the rocks that protruded from its floor. Soft breezes rustled through the leaves and braches of nearby trees. The gusts brought with them an aroma of flowers which grew on the opposite side of the river. Everything was peaceful. Everything was right. And in Samuel's mind, everything was perfect.

Samuel loved to walk along the path in the early morning: the beautiful sunrise, the cooling breeze, the wonderful fresh air that one can only obtain after a peaceful night's rain, and of course the perfect musical concert only nature can produce. His dark green eyes were closed as he slowly moved along the straight road. This allowed his other senses to enjoy the surroundings even more. His brown hair, at least what stuck out from under his backwards light blue cap, moved slightly as the morning breezes past through it. His kaki shorts and green and white striped shirt were wet from where he had enjoyed a sit under a nearby tree. While he walked along the path, everything was good. There was nothing that could bother Samuel when he was on one of his walks.

The daily walk gave him time to think-- and gave him an excuse to not ride the bus. Samuel lived in Potterston. Since only a few people who lived in Potterston were in school, there was no school building in the town. Therefore it was necessary for anyone who wanted an education to travel to Tangon and attend a school there. Samuel chose to walk the distance each morning. He told his mom he did it for the exercise and the peacefulness of the early morning. While he had come to enjoy his time with nature, Samuel's true reason was that he disliked the other kids from Potterston, and they had no fondness of him. Samuel was just fine with that. Samuel tended to be a loner. He enjoyed nothing more than being by himself. Other kids, at one time, had tried to be nice to him, but it soon became apparent to them that it was a lost cause. It was not that Samuel was mean or anything. In fact, he was a very kind and caring person. He just kept people from getting close to him as a defense mechanism. Samuel had been hurt in his life. Because of that, he refused to let many people close to him out of fear of being hurt again. But all that is a different story. For now, Samuel was enjoying the peaceful morning and blissfully walking down the road towards the Misty Forest where, the night before, something terrible had happened.

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**Chapter One: _Simply Unpleasant_**

It was quiet in the Misty Forest. Shaden hated when it was quiet. There were no owls in the trees or mice on the forest floor. Not even the chirp of a cricket could be heard. The quiet could mean only one thing.

_That blasted, idiot officer must be after me again,_ Shaden thought as he leaned up against his usual tree. _He is starting to get a little obsessed with me._

Shaden Woodsworth was a thief. Actually, he was a bandit. Shaden hated the term thief. He felt it was derogatory towards a man of his profession. Besides, thieves were crude, greedy slobs. Anyone could step into the streets and be a thief. It took class, talent, and patience to be a bandit. Also, bandits would only steal from the rich. Thieves took from everyone. But that was all beside the point. The point was, Shaden was being pursued again, and this time he had done nothing wrong. Do not get him wrong, Shaden had done many-a-thing to deserve some time in prison. He just felt it would silly to finally be caught and not have done anything to warrant it.

Shaden sighed as he lifted his head towards the sky. His light blue eyes were barely visible beneath his messy brown hair that fell across them. Hetilted his black cowboy styled hat backwards as he stared at the night's sky. No breeze blew through the forest. The rising temperature, along with a light rain here and there, throughout the day made it very humid. Where he once wore a black trench coat, it now laid beside exposing a worn-out grey t-shirt. Taking out a cigarette pack from his dirt covered jeans, Shaden quickly inserted one into his mouth. Pulling out a pack of matches, Shaden was relieved to see there was still one left.

Shaden sighed as smoke slowly started rising off the end of his cigarette. _It will only be a matter of time before The Storm comes. And to think, all this trouble over a silly book that (for the record) I didn't even steal. How was I to know it belonged to that kid? It was just sitting in the alley. All I did was pick it up. Then out of nowhere, the kid jumps out and starts yelling about how I was stealing his book. It was just my luck that some cop just happened to be walking by at that moment. I didn't even have enough time to give the kid his book._

Shaden sighed again and looked down at the book. It lay on his coat with its red cover and strange symbol looking at him. Reaching down, Shaden picked up the book and flipped through a few pages. Frowning a shaking his head, he threw it back down on his jacket. "Stupid book. All this trouble and I can't even read a single word." Looking back into the sky, Shaden started to laugh. "This is all just simply unpleasant."


	2. The Gathering Storm

Once again, any opinions, criticisms, or ideas are welcome.

**_The Gathering Storm_**

"Heinrich, Celer! If you two start laughing one more time, I will personally shove that magazine down your throat and out your butt!" bellowed Officer Tempest. "This could finally be the time we catch Woodsworth and I would much rather loose you two than mess up this opportunity." The Officer's face was blister red as he vented his rage on the two rookies. The day was stressful enough without the trouble from the new recruits.

"Y-y-y-yes s-s-sir," stuttered Heinrich as he quickly stuffed the magazine back into his bag. The two rookies quickly sped off to find a job that would keep the away from the Officer's wrath. Officer Tempest shook his head and turned his gaze back to the trees. The Misty Forest stared back at him. It was all that stood between him and his Holy Grail: Shaden Woodsworth.

Officer Julian "Storm" Tempest was one of the best officers the police force had ever seen. He had arrested more criminals and put away more lowlifes than most of the recruits had seen. He was smart, strong, determined, and, some would say, unstoppable. He became so 'unstoppable' that he was given the nickname Storm. It was said that once The Storm was unleashed, one could only take the beating and pray they survive. Tempest would pursue his prey constantly until they were too tired and weak to run, and then he would catch them. And he always caught them.

Unfortunately, he was also known as The Storm for his temper. He is what you would call a loose cannon. Tempest would do anything to catch his man, legal or not. The chief of the department had already suspended him twice for misconduct and even threatened to remove him from the force. It was just a threat however and Julian Tempest knew it. He was too good at what he did. The force could not do without him. It was for that reason that he pushed his luck time and time again. Striking criminals in custody, using excess force, and even shooting captured perpetrators, not to kill, were normal for Tempest when his temper rose. It would be only a matter of time before The Storm got completely out of control.

The last reason for his nickname was his appearance. Julian Tempest was a terrifying man to meet. He stood six feet tall and could take down any man that faced him. He was shaved bold and no one dared to make fun of it. His brown eyes seemed to be somehow stuck in a permanent glare. He had a flat nose, broken in many place from years of work, and a strong chin, which was covered with a black goatee. In the place of freckles, his face was marked with scars from many work related incidents, all of which he could remember and would happily tell to anyone interested. Tempest's body was the example of fitness. He could lift more, run farther, and move quicker than any man on the force. He dressed in the standard dark blue uniforms of the Tangon Police Force. It was adored by many metals which he had received over the years. He carried his precious colt pistol at his side along with a radio, nightstick, handcuffs, and a large wooden stick which had a notch for ever man he put anyway (A weird habit but once again no one questioned it). It was covered on all sides. Add all this to the fact that he could crush a man with his fists and you get the picture.

Officer Tempest crossed his arms and tapped his foot in impatience. He had requested to lead the mission in capturing Woodsworth. He had a history with the bandit and was looking for some payback. While the chief had been hesitant at first, he finally granted Tempest's wish and put him in charge of nine men. The plans were made, the precautions were taken, and the party was about to begin. Unlatching his radio, Tempest spoke into it with a hushed tone.

"What is taking so long Crooger? Your team has been in there for over an hour. Aren't you in place yet?" Tempest suppressed yelling in fear that it might carried too loud over the radio.

"Sorry Sir. One of the men reported seeing a child run past him. We needed to make sure there were so civilians in the proximity of Woodworth before we called in."

Even though Crooger spoke without stuttering, Tempest could hear the nervousness in his voice. It was annoying. Gritting his teeth, Tempest spoke with the sternest, quietest voice he could muster. "I pray that problem had been solved and this child is no longer around."

"Yes Sir. We have not been able to make visual contact with the child again. It was probably just some animal. This forest can play tricks on your eyes if you are not careful. But anyways, we are ready to strike whenever you give the orders."

Tempest grinned slightly and looked at the rest of the squad. "Crooger, Miles, and Hamond are in place. Shepard, take Heinrich and keep him out of trouble. You two will have the left flank. Blank, Richards. You two will take the right flank. Daniels, you are with me. Celer, stay here. If anything seems out of order, report back to the station at once. Once your team is in place, radio to me, I will then give the orders to move it. Woodsworth is a tricky one. He is fast and cunning. That is why we needed so many people. Remember, we are aiming to capture not kill." He let his orders sink in for a moment before telling his men to move out. Then he turned back to his radio. "Crooger, it should only be a few minutes. Keep your eyes on Woodsworth. If he does anything, tell me immediately." Tempest then turned and walked into the forest with only one thing on his mind. _The Storm is coming, Shaden. And this time, there is nowhere for you to go._


	3. Heating Things Up

**Chapter Three: _Heating Things Up_ **

The moon had moved past its highpoint of the night, and clouds began to form, blocking out what little light it was able to get through the leafy treetops. The forest was now dark, quiet and dark. This caused Jacob Crooger to curse and reach for the radio to make a call that he knew he would regret. He hesitated for awhile though. First because he thought he heard voices. Crooger soon disregarded this as his mind playing tricks on him. Then he thought about not calling at all. If he did, all Tempest would do would be to yell and that was something he could do without. He waited for about ten minutes before he gave in and spoke into the radio. "Sir, we have lost visibility….. No Sir, I am sure he is still there. It is just without the moon, we have no light source and I don't want to risk a flashlight…. Yes Sir, I understand, but I don't think it is the best…… Yes Sir, understood."

Crooger sighed and put away his radio. He then turned to Miles and Hamond. "Alright, The Storm wants us to move in closer. I know it is risky, but it is much safer than disobeying a direct order. Just stay down and be quiet. I would rather not be spotted. We just have to get close enough to see him. It shouldn't be too hard as long as we…. Miles are you paying attention to anything I am saying?"

Miles gave a nervous smile and pointed to where Woodsworth had been standing. "I think our problem has been solved." Miles spoke true. The area was now lit up perfectly. At first, it looked as if Woodsworth had lit some kind of fire. Then the flames began to move around and float in the air. Curiosity got the best of Crooger and he stood up to see what it was. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open.

"You have got to be kidding me. That's only a…." Crooger froze mid-sentence. The flames stopped dancing and instead, chose to fly straight at the bush where they were hiding. The last things Crooger could see before he and his group burst into flames were a shocked Woodsworth and a laughing child.

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_I wonder how close they are. If I just knew where they were I could get out of here in a second._ Shaden Woodsworth was still leaning against his tree with smoke drifting slowly upwards from the end of his much shorter cigarette. For the past hour he had been trying to think of ways to escape with the least amount of trouble. So far he had not even figured out a way to get out period. It was his fault though. Shaden knew he relaxed too early. _I should have figured that the good officer would chase me here. Because I waited, I am now surrounded. Hmhm, and they call me "the best bandit alive." _He was outnumbered and outgunned; at least if he knew Officer Storm as good as he thought he did. And he knew the man quite well

Shaden had a few prior meeting with Officer Tempest. Each time, Shaden was able to escape and make Tempest look like a fool in the process. Tempest prided himself on not letting anyone get away from him and it killed him that Woodsworth was still free. It had become a sort of game to Shaden. He tried to see just how close he could let Tempest get to him before he got away. This time however, he let the officer too close. Shaden shook his head and sighed. "I would do anything to get out of this mess."

"Anything, do you really mean that?" The dull voice came from behind him. Shaden quickly turned around and pulled out a dagger to face his enemy. The figure that he saw, however, was more surprising than if it had been Officer Tempest in a dress. The source of the voice was a mere child. He had fiery red hair that fell neatly down his body to the middle of his waist. The boy's eyes dance like fire with a color that constantly changed from red to orange to yellow. Following the rest of the theme on the face, the boy also had tattoos of flames on each of his cheeks and moving back around his neck. He was dressed in what look like a white monk's robe, leaving no part of his body visible. His feet, covered with white socks, were fitted with only simple wooden sandals. He was standing on the lowest branch of the tree that Shaden had been leaning on. The boy's eyes, never wavering, stared straight into Shaden's. "Did you mean what you said?"

"What do you mean by that? Who are you? How did you get here? How long have you…. Wait a minute. You're that kid from the alley. You are the one who got me into all this mess." Shaden had gone from a state of shock, to a state of confusion, to a state of anger in less than a span of thirty seconds. It is a feat that, for your information, is quite hard to do.

"One thing at a time, you humans can be quite annoying." The boy jumped down from the tree with ease and landed only a few feet from Shaden. The boy only came up to Shaden's waist. Walking towards him, the boy put both of his hands over his head. Shaden noticed that they too had flame-like tattoos. "The first question is very simple. I want to know if you meant it when you said you would do anything to get out of this mess." Shaden nodded in silence as the boy continued. "Secondly, I am a mamodo. I can tell by the blank look on you face that you have no idea what that is." Shaden nodded in agreement. "Mamodo are creatures from a different world, the Mamodo World. We are sent here every one thousand years to fight to see who will be our king. Once all the other mamodo are defeated, the winner becomes king and reigns until the next battle. It is pretty simple. And as for getting you into all this mess, you were the one who stole my book. I think you have only yourself to blame"

Shaden disregarded the last statement and focused more of the fight for king. "No offense kid, but you don't look like the warrior type. I can't see you holding your own in a fight."

The boy looked at Shaden as if he was an idiot. "We don't use our fists to fight. Well, some of the mamodo do but not me. Most mamodo use their spell book." The boy pointed to the red book that was on Shaden's jacket. "When the book owner reads a spell from that book, the mamodo is able to perform it." The boy sounded as if none of what he said seemed crazy. Shaden on the other hand was a bit different.

"What kind of shows does you mother let you watch little guy," Shaden said rubbing the boys head. He quickly had his hand knocked away. "You need to get out more." Shaden looked back into the trees. "Now get on out of here before you get hurt. I got some people after me and I don't want you to get involved." Shaden turned and walked to the opposite side of his tree. When he leaned back on the trunk, he was surprised to see the boy right in front of him. "Didn't I just tell you to get out of here? You are going to get yourself hurt."

The boy ignored him and pick up the red covered book. "You didn't believe a thing I said did you?" Shaden shook his head and went back to staring into the tree. "I can prove it to you." Handing the book to Shaden, the boy opened it to the first page. "Alright, just read the first spell and I will show you what I can do."

Shaden just stared at the boy. "Kid, I don't even know what language this is in. How the heck am I supposed to read it? Look, I am sure your mother is worried sick about you. Let's get you home and then…." Shaden stopped as he heard something from the nearby bushes. It sounded like the crackling of a radio. It was soon followed by voices. "Shoot! They are already here. We got to go kid."

"Just read the first spell and we will be fine." The boy seemed so sure about the idea. Shaden was just about to loose it with the boy when something odd happened. The book began to glow. Then some of the words that were unreadable, turned into a language that he could understand.

Shaden shook his head. "This day is getting weirder by the second. What did you want me to do with this?" The boy didn't say a word but just pointed to the newly changed words. Shaden looked down and took a deep breath. "Whatever, it's worth a shot. Quegar!" Instantly, fire sprang up from the boy's hands. He quickly formed it into four fire balls and made them spin over his head. Then, taking three of the flames, he formed them back into a single fire ball and then launched it at the bushes where the noises had come from. Right before the hit, Shaden noticed someone sticking their head out from the brush. The boy started to laugh at his success. In the next instant, the bush, along with the three men who were behind it burst into flames. Shaden was so shocked that he dropped his cigarette. Reaching into his pocket, he quickly put another in his mouth only to realize he was out of matches. Shaden groaned and looked back at the kid in amazement.

"So, tell me more about the Mamodo World. Ummmm, what's your name anyways?" The boy smiled and snapped his fingers. The last flame flew at Shaden and lit his cigarette.

"Call me, Match" The boy turned and starred into the darkness of the forest. "And as for you first question: I will tell you all about the Mamodo World and Battle for King in due time. First, however,let's give the rest of our company a ... _warm _welcome.

Shaden walked up beside Match and rubbed the kid's head for a moment before having his hand, again, knocked away. "I like the way you think little guy." Looking back into the blackness of the night, Shaden began to laugh."Hmhmhmhm, this is going to be the start of an interesting friendship. Hmhmhm, Hahahahahha." With that, Shaden Woodsworth threw open the book. "Come out; come out wherever you are. I have a little surprise for you, Tempest. Hahahaha, QUEGAR!"

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Woodsworth: Alright guys, I hope you are enjoying the story. As always, feedback would be wonderful. The next chapter will take longer than the first three since I already has those made. Hopefully, I will have it up soon. Peace out.


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